9 - consuming energy resources Flashcards
energy mix
specific combination of energy resources used in a company
what factors affect access to energy resources
- geology - sedimentary rocks = coal - plate boundaries = geothermal
- accessibility - remote areas are expensive
- climate - have potential to harness wind and solar
- technology
energy poor
lacking electricity or income to pay for it
energy poverty
no access to electricity keeps world from attending school/ earning a living - rely on biomass - health suffers
why energy use varies
- levels of economic development
- reliance on traditional fuel sources
- demand from diff economic sectors
oil uses
fuel
making plastics
tarmac making
cooking
problems with reliance on oil
climate change
peak oil
air pollution
environmental accidents eg oil spills
increasing oil price
how changing international relations effect oil supply / prices
conflict
geopolitics
recession
over/under supply
tar sands
- highly polluting
- mixture of sand clay, water and bitumen
- extracted by injecting hot steam into bitumen
- creates harmful chemicals - run off creates pollution
- need lot of water
- vegetation is cleared and harm habitats
shale gas
- extracted by fracking where liquid is pumped into the rock at high pressure
- land has been cleared
- chemical leach into groundwater
- gas entering peoples homes
- habitat loss/ damage
energy conservation
changing our behaviour as consumers
energy efficiency
does the same job by using less energy
energy conservation - home
- insulating walls
- efficient modern boilers
- solar panels
- led bulbs
energy conservation - transport
- hybrid cars combine petrol and electric
- more efficient engines
- public transport improvements
future technologies to lower carbon emissions
- hydrogen - making energy from water
- hybrid cars use less petrol
- LEDs
